We added Annecy, the "Venice of the Alps," to our road trip itinerary on a recommendation from Mike's dad. It ended up being one of the most shockingly beautiful destinations we explored during our trip last September.

Hugging Lake Annecy, located at the foot of La Tournette mountain and 5 hours from Paris, Annecy is an exquisite little town full of charming cafes, breathtaking vistas, and lazy canals. Throw in good French wine and pastries, and stinky cheese fondues, and you have my idea of heaven.

This fence, in one of the city's many public parks, is a nod to the great ski slopes near Annecy. And when (not if) we return, we're definitely renting one of those boats!